Safety barrier

ABSTRACT

The base ( 2 ) includes a base portion ( 4 ), a socket means on the base portion ( 4 ) for securely receiving an upright ( 8 ) and at least one lug extending from the base portion ( 4 ). The at least one lug including a first portion ( 7 ) extending parallel to the base portion ( 4 ) and a second portion ( 7 ) to the base portion ( 4 ) in an offset alignment. The at least one lug is adapted for substantially flush arrangement with an underside of a floor ( 12 ). In the absence of other means fixing the base ( 2 ) to the floor ( 12 ), the at least one lug prevents the barrier post ( 2, 8 ) from falling over by contacting the underside of the floor ( 12 ) when a force is applied to the upright ( 8 ) in a direction toward or oblique to the void ( 11 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This Invention relates to barriers, and especially safety barriers for use on construction sites. More specifically, the Invention relates to means for anchoring barrier posts to a floor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Currently safety barriers are used in various forms to prevent accidents on multi-storey construction sites where workers are required to work In the vicinity of open or Incomplete stairwells or where the surrounding walls on a level of a building have not been erected. In these circumstances, there are several approaches to preventing workers falling into the stairwell or off the level. Some approaches assume that workers will fall regardless and therefore provides safety netting to arrest the fall. Other approaches are directed to preventing the fall in the first instance.

[0003] According to the latter approach, different attempts have been made to provide adequate barrier assemblies that are easily Installed in order to minimise the risk of incorrect installation and therefore failure of the barriers. One method presently used for concrete floors is simply to drill a vertical bore into the concrete slab and place a post in the bore with means for securing the post therein. Alternatively, a sleeve for supporting a post may be embedded in the floor during pouring of the concrete. Several such posts support safety rails or other baicade elements. While this method provides the advantage of being relatively simple there is always the risk that the securing means may work loose through repeated knocks, leaving the post, and therefore the barrier, unable to withstand a heavy knock.

[0004] Another method involves supporting each post of the barrier with a clamp on the edge of the floor which defines the void. The clamp is vertically arranged and the barrier post is mounted on the clamp. As the clamp fits to the edge of the void, the barrier is positioned close to the void and does not allow for any gap between the barrier and the edge of the void as a safety margin. Furthermore, installing the clamp requires people to work in close proximity to the void, thereby placing them in danger of falling.

[0005] Alternatively, for wooden floors and concrete floors each post of the barrier may Include a base which Is secured to the floor by screw or bolts. If the screws or bolts are not chosen appropriately or if the barrier is hastily erected with insufficient screws in the base, the screws may fail or pull clear of the flooring when the barrier takes a heavy knock.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present Invention to, at least In part, alleviate the shortcomings of current barrier assemblies.

[0007] It is also desirable to provide barrier posts which operate effectively in the absence of screws or bolts In the base.

[0008] Its is further advantageous for the invention to provide barrier posts that are simple to Install and provide protection against heavy knocks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In accordance with a first aspect of the Invention there is provided a base for a barrier post including a base portion and at least one lug on the base portion. The at least one lug includes a first portion extending generally parallel to the base portion and a second portion connecting the first portion to the base portion in an offset alignment The at least one lug is adapted for substantially flush arrangement with an underside of a floor for engagement therewith when a force is applied to the upright.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention provides a barrier post Including an upright and a base in accordance with the first aspect of the Invention. The upright is adapted for mounting railing support means thereon.

[0011] The upright, in the second aspect, may be mounted in means on the base portion for securely receiving the upright.

[0012] In a third aspect the invention provides a barrier comprising two or more posts, where each post includes an upright, railing support means mounted on the upright and a base, which is in accordance with the first aspect of the invention. The third aspect further comprises one or more railings for extending between neighboring posts and being supported by the support means.

[0013] In relation to each of the above aspects the base portion may Include apertures through which screws, bolts or other fixing means may be Inserted.

[0014] Referring to the second and third aspects, the support means may include a channel In which an end of the railing may be placed. The channel may, for instance, be U-shaped to receive the width of a railing vertically. Alternatively, the channel may be adapted to receive a T-shaped railing. For the T-shaped support the railing preferably comprises two pieces of wood arranged to form a T-shape corresponding to the T-shaped channel.

[0015] The support means may further Include means for securing the railings in the channel. The securing means may, for example, take the form of holes In the channel adapted to receive a bolt, screw, nail or other fixing means therethrough. Additionally, the support means preferably includes means for engaging the upright and retaining the support means in a desired vertical position on the upright Furthermore, the engaging means preferably enables selected directional positioning of the support means around the post to accommodate non-linear barrier configurations.

[0016] The base portion may also include apertures In an end of the base portion opposite the at least one lug, whereby the apertures are adapted to receive fixing means for retaining the base portion in flush alignment with the floor. The fixing means may be, for example, nails, screws or bots.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0018]FIG. 1 is an underneath perspective view of a barrier post base according to the first aspect of the Invention;

[0019]FIG. 2 depicts the manner In which the base shown in FIG. 1 is placed in position;

[0020]FIG. 3 illustrates a side elevational view of a barrier post when placed In position according to the second aspect of the invention and including the rail support means;

[0021]FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a mid or toe rail support means;

[0022]FIG. 5 represents a perspective view of a top rail support means;

[0023]FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the upright of FIG. 3 showing a split pin;

[0024]FIG. 7 shows a barrier according to the third aspect of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, a base 2 for a barrier post is depicted. The base 2 includes a base portion 4, means (not shown), preferably in the form of a socket, on the base portion 4 for securely receiving an upright 8 and at least one lug 6 extending from the base portion 4. The at least one lug 6 Including a first portion 7 extending parallel to the base portion 4 and a second portion 9 connecting the first portion 7 to the base portion 4 in an offset alignment The at least one lug is also adapted for substantially flush arrangement with an underside of a floor 12, as shown in FIGS. 2 & 3. In the absence of other means fixing the base 2 to the floor 12, the at least one lug 6 prevents the barrier post 2,8 from falling over by contacting the underside of the floor 12 when a force Is applied to the upright 8 in a direction toward or oblique to the void 11.

[0026] In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the base 2 comprises two lugs 6 which are welded on the base portion 4 parallel to each other. Each lug 6 is preferably L-shaped with a length of approximately 60 mm and also formed to provide a 20 mm gap between the first portion 7 and the underside of the base portion 4. The first portion 7 Is attached to the base portion 4 via the second portion 9 which is integral with the first portion 7 and welded to the base portion 4. In alternative embodiments, the second portion 9 is welded to the first portion 7, attached to an edge of the base portion 4 or may even extend from the top surface of the base portion 4. The lugs 6 are approximately 10 mm wide and formed from 8mm thick steel and, under force, the lugs 6 are strong enough to exhibit only a small amount of deflection.

[0027] The base 2 may also Include apertures 10, as Illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, which are adapted to accommodate means for fixing the base 2 to the floor 12. Such means may be, for example, nails, screws or bolts or any other appropriately adapted means. The apertures 10 are located in an end of the base portion 4 opposite the lugs 6 to enable fixing of the base portion 4 to the floor 12. In this manner, the fixing means prevents the base 2 from being removed out of flush alignment with the floor 12 by pivoting away from void 11. While such fixing means are not essential for guarding against knocks directed toward the void 11, they are desirable where the barrier is likely to be knocked away from the void 11.

[0028] The base portion 4 Is a rectangular plate, preferably 250 mm long and 200 mm wide and formed from 8 mm mild steel, but it may equally be formed in other shapes suitable for supporting an upright 8 and having at least one lug 6 extending from its underside. The upright 8 is preferably formed as a cylinder, and in the preferred embodiment has an outer diameter of 50 mm, to accommodate railing support means 16, 18 as shown In FIGS. 4 and 5. The upright 8 may be formed of plastic, wood or other suitably rigid material, including steel. The upright 8 is placed in the socket welded on the base portion 4. In another embodiment the upright 8 is formed from steel to the same dimensions and welded to the base portion 4, preferably, at or near the edge of the base portion 4 opposite the lugs 6.

[0029] The manner of installing the base 2 In a floor 12 Is illustrated in FIG. 2. According to the preferred embodiment, two holes 14, approximately 12 mm in diameter, are created in the floor 12 adjacent a void to which the barrier is intended to prevent access. The void may, for instance, be an incomplete stairwell or the outer perimeter of a raised level in a multi-storey construction. The holes 14 are spaced by a distance corresponding to the spacing of the lugs 6. The base portion 4 is tilted away from horizontal to allow the lugs 6 to enter the holes 14 and eventually be directed away from the void 11. As the second portion 9 of the lugs 6 enter the holes 14 the base portion 4 is rotated toward horizontal until the lugs 6 are fully inserted in the holes 14 and the base portion 4 is flush with the floor 12. This arrangement is shown in FIG. 3, and results in the lugs 6 being slightly offset from the underside of the floor 12 and directed away from the void 11.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 3, where a force is applied to the upright 8 in a direction indicated by arrow R toward the void 11, for example a worker bumping the barrier, as per FIG. 11, or a piece of equipment hitting the barrier, the force is transmitted through the upright to lift the base portion 4 at the end the lugs are situated out of flush alignment with the floor 12 instead, the lugs 6 contact the underside of the floor 12 to oppose the force and prevent the barrier post 2, 8 from falling over.

[0031] in this manner, the base portion 4 does not require additional means fixing the base portion 4 to the floor 12 to enable the barrier to absorb impacts directed toward the void 11 and prevent the barrier from falling over. This is advantageous over present barrier posts as the barrier post 2, 8 may be installed to operate at its full capacity without requiring the selection and application of suitable means for fixing the barrier post 2, 8 to the floor 12. Consequently, full operating capacity is achieved through an easy installation process.

[0032] Testing of the base 2 under extreme forces has resulted in a portion of the floor 12 above the lugs being ripped out, rather than the base 2 or lugs 6 failing. Such testing involved placing a point load on the upright 8 at 985 mm from the bottom of the base portion 4 to act perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the upright 8. While able to withstand forces up to 1845N before failure of the particle board flooring used in the tests and accounting for variables in the testing procedures, it was resolved that the design capacity of the barrier post was around 1135N.

[0033]FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively illustrate preferred embodiments of the middie toe rail support means 18 and upper rail support means 16. Beginning with the middle rail support means 18, a U-shaped channel is provided to receive a rail. The channel is defined by two side walls 20 and a base wall 22 such that the channel is adapted to receive a rail therein.

[0034] Located at one end of the channel is means 28 for engaging the upright 8, whereby in the preferred embodiment the engagement means comprises two plates welded to the top and bottom of the U-shaped channel, respectively. The plates include an aperture 48 which corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the upright 8 in this embodiment, the upright 8 is cylindrical and the apertures 48 are circular. This enables the support means 18 to be positioned at angles desired by the user to suit voids which are not bounded by linear edges, as in FIG. 7.

[0035] The upper rail support 16, depicted in FIG. 5, is adapted to receive T-shaped railings in a correspondingly shaped channel defined by side walls 20, base wall 22, shoulders 24 which extend away from each other and perpendicularly to the side walls and walls 26 which are parallel to but offset from the side walls 20 identical engagement means 28 and apertures 48 are provided on one end of the rail support 16, whereby one engagement means 28 is mounted on the shoulders 24 and the other is attached to the base wall 22. Consequently, the support means 16 is also able to provide selected directional positioning to accommodate nonlinear barrier configurations. An upper railing (not shown) is preferably formed from two pieces of wood which are secured together along their lengths where the width of one piece is arranged to be perpendicular to the other piece to form the T-shape corresponding to the upper support means 16 channel.

[0036] Each support means 16, 18 is preferably mounted on the upright 8 at a desired height with the co-operation of a split pin 19 and vertically spaced holes 17 in the upright 8, as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 6. Using the support means 16 as an example, the height of the support means 16 may be set as desired by placing a split pin 19 in holes 17 at the desired height in the upright 8. The split pin 19 may be composed of a malleable metal, such as mild steel, to enable the ends of the split pin 19 to be bent around the upright 8 by hand after they have been inserted in the holes 17. The support means 16 may then be located on the upright 8 with the engagement means 28 attached to the base wall 22 abutting the split pin 19. This leaves the support means 28 free to be pivoted around the upright 8 into any selected directional position.

[0037] The above described base 2 is particularly useful with floors that are relatively thin. For example, wooden floors where holes 14 can easily be made in the floor 12.

[0038] it will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention. 

1. A base for a barrier post, the base including: a) a base portion located near an opening in a floor in a construction site; and b) at least one lug on the base portion passing downwardly through an aperture in the floor, the lug including a portion adjacent an underside of the floor and arranged for engagement therewith when a force is applied to an upright mounted on the base portion.
 2. A barrier post assembly, including a base according to claim 1, and an upright mounted on the base portion.
 3. A barrier post assembly according to claim 2, wherein the upright includes means for mounting railing support elements.
 4. A barrier post assembly according to claim 3, wherein the means for mounting railing support elements includes a member engageable with the post to provide a rest for supporting railing support elements.
 5. A barrier post assembly according to claim 4, wherein the means for mounting railing support elements further includes apertures formed in the upright such that the member engages the apertures to project therefrom, thereby providing the rest for supporting the railing support elements.
 6. A barrier post assembly according to claim 3 further including railing support elements mounted on the upright.
 7. A barrier, comprising: a) two or more barrier posts, where each barrier post includes: i) a base portion; and ii) at least one lug on the base portion including a first portion extending generally parallel to the base portion and a second portion connecting the first portion to the base portion in an offset alignment; iii) an upright mounted on the base portion; wherein the at least one lug is shaped for substantially flush arrangement with an underside of the floor for engagement therewith when a force is applied to the respective upright; b) railing support elements on each of the barrier posts; and c) one or more railings supported by the railing support elements to extend between adjacent barrier posts.
 8. A barrier according to claim 7, wherein the railing support elements include a channel in which a railing is placed.
 9. A barrier according to claim 8, wherein the channel is U-shaped to receive a width dimension of the railing vertically.
 10. A barrier according to claim 8, wherein the channel is T-shaped to receive a T-shaped railing.
 11. A barrier according to claim 7, wherein each of the railing support elements includes engaging means for enabling selected directional positioning of the respective railing support element around the respective upright to accommodate non-linear barrier configurations.
 12. A barrier according to claim 11, wherein the engaging means comprises a pair of spaced rings shaped to permit rotational movement of the railing support elements relative to the upright.
 13. A barrier according to claim 7, wherein each barrier post includes means for mounting the respective railing support element thereon.
 14. A barrier according to claim 13, wherein the means for mounting railing support elements includes a member engageable with the respective barrier post to provide a rest for supporting said respective railing support element.
 15. A barrier according to claim 14, wherein the means for mounting railing support elements further includes apertures formed in the upright such that the member engages the apertures to project therefrom thereby providing the rest for supporting the railing support elements.
 16. A barrier according to claim 7, wherein each barrier post is located near an opening in a floor in a construction site such that the at least one lug on each barrier post passes through an aperture in the floor, the barrier thereby disabling access to the opening.
 17. A barrier post apparatus including: a) a base having a base portion and at least one lug on the base portion, the at least one lug for passing downwardly through an aperture in a floor, which lug includes a first portion extending generally parallel to the base portion and a second portion connecting the first portion to the base portion in an offset alignment; b) an upright for mounting on the base portion and for supporting railings; and c) means for mounting railing support elements on the upright; wherein the at least one lug is adapted, when in said aperture, to be substantially flush with an underside of the floor for engagement therewith when the upright is mounted on the base portion and when a force is applied to the upright.
 18. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for mounting railing support elements includes a member engageable with the upright to provide a rest for supporting the railing support elements.
 19. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the means for mounting railing support elements further includes apertures formed in the upright such that the member is engageable with the apertures to project therefrom, thereby providing the rest for supporting the railing support elements.
 20. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 17, 18 or 19, further including railing support elements for mounting on the upright.
 21. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 20, wherein each of the railing support elements includes a channel in which a railing may be placed.
 22. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the channel is U-shaped to receive a width dimension of the railing vertically.
 23. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the channel is T-shaped to receive a T-shaped railing.
 24. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 21 wherein each of the railing support elements includes engaging means shaped to enable selected directional positioning of the channel around the upright to accommodate non-linear barrier configurations.
 25. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the engaging means comprises a pair of spaced rings dimensioned to permit rotational movement of the railing support elements relative to the upright.
 26. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said upright is mounted on said base portion as a assembly.
 27. A method of disabling access to an opening in a floor, in a construction site, the method comprising: erecting a barrier in accordance with claim 7, near the opening; wherein the railings of the barrier disable access to the opening.
 28. Support elements for railings in a barrier, the support elements including: railing receiving means; and means associated with the railing receiving means for engaging a barrier post; wherein the engaging means is shaped to enable selected directional positioning of the support elements around the post to accommodate non-linear barrier configurations.
 29. Support elements according to claim 28, wherein the engaging means comprises a pair of spaced rings shaped to permit rotational movement of the support elements relative to the upright.
 30. Support elements according to claim 28, wherein the railing receiving means comprises a channel formed as a T-shape or U-shape.
 31. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 18, further including railing support elements for mounting on the upright.
 32. A barrier post apparatus according to claim 19, further including railing support elements for mounting on the upright. 